The Process of Making a Fin

 

Today I was able to successfully produce a surfboard fin.  I have gotten the process to a place where I feel comfortable producing multiple fins.  There are 4 major steps that I need to take when making each fin. Those steps are, collecting, cutting, cooking and more cutting. To make the fins I need to collect the HDPE plastic. Things like shampoo bottles and milk containers are a commonly made out of HDPE plastic.

 

Once the plastic is collected, I then cut the containers down into smaller pieces to make the molding process easier.

 

The cut up plastic then makes its way into an older convection toaster oven where it is then melted. In the future I hope to replace the toaster with a solar oven to make the process more Eco-friendly.

 

The plastic comes out of the toaster in a putty like consistency. While the plastic is still mold-able, it is placed in the wooden press that I made and is clamped down to create a solid flat square.

 

  Once cooled, I am able to cut out the shape of the fin. After I cut out the fin, the excess plastic is saved to be used again, and then I sand down the sides, giving the fin its hydrodynamic shape. Now that I have a process that works well for me, I hope to make several more fins and continue to find ways to make an even more Eco-friendly fin.